British MP Rupert Lowe is refusing to back down after facing criticism over comments comparing the UK Pakistani grooming gang scandal to the Holocaust.
Lowe, leader of the political group Restore Britain, came under fire after saying the scandal was “something the equivalent of the Holocaust” during a campaign event. According to reports, Jewish organizations condemned the remarks as offensive and called for an apology.
Lowe doubled down in a statement posted to X, making clear he would not retract his comments. “I want to be really clear in my response. I am not going to retract anything, I stand by every single word. Labour are calling for me to apologise. The answer is no,” Lowe wrote.
He defended the comparison by pointing to testimony gathered during an inquiry conducted by his party. “I sat there for two weeks, listening to these girls,” Lowe said.
“Dozens and dozens of these stories through our inquiry, and we are barely scratching the surface. This was allowed to happen EXACTLY because politicians were cowards, refusing to discuss it. I will not make that same mistake. I said what I said, and I meant it.”
The MP also slammed the Labour Party, accusing its members of failing to confront the problem under PM Keir Starmer. “The Labour Party have blood on their hands, yet they think they can demand an apology from me for highlighting the systemic evil they allowed to infect our entire country?”
“They can piss off.” Lowe said hearing testimony from victims had changed his perspective. "I am angry about it. Furious. When you hear directly from these girls about what they have been through, it changes the way you see politics. Forever.”
He added that a report from the inquiry would be “Our report will be out very soon.”
“When that happens, I don’t want any apologies from the Labour Party. I don’t care about that.”
“I want to see those politicians responsible for covering up this atrocity behind bars for what they have done to these girls.”
Lowe, leader of the political group Restore Britain, came under fire after saying the scandal was “something the equivalent of the Holocaust” during a campaign event. According to reports, Jewish organizations condemned the remarks as offensive and called for an apology.
Lowe doubled down in a statement posted to X, making clear he would not retract his comments. “I want to be really clear in my response. I am not going to retract anything, I stand by every single word. Labour are calling for me to apologise. The answer is no,” Lowe wrote.
He defended the comparison by pointing to testimony gathered during an inquiry conducted by his party. “I sat there for two weeks, listening to these girls,” Lowe said.
“Dozens and dozens of these stories through our inquiry, and we are barely scratching the surface. This was allowed to happen EXACTLY because politicians were cowards, refusing to discuss it. I will not make that same mistake. I said what I said, and I meant it.”
The MP also slammed the Labour Party, accusing its members of failing to confront the problem under PM Keir Starmer. “The Labour Party have blood on their hands, yet they think they can demand an apology from me for highlighting the systemic evil they allowed to infect our entire country?”
“They can piss off.” Lowe said hearing testimony from victims had changed his perspective. "I am angry about it. Furious. When you hear directly from these girls about what they have been through, it changes the way you see politics. Forever.”
He added that a report from the inquiry would be “Our report will be out very soon.”
“When that happens, I don’t want any apologies from the Labour Party. I don’t care about that.”
“I want to see those politicians responsible for covering up this atrocity behind bars for what they have done to these girls.”
